British American Tobacco is making changes to its management board structure and composition, the company announced June 19.
Following the appointment of Tadeu Marroco as chief executive on May 15, the tobacco company decided to restructure to support Marroco’s commitment to a sharpened focus on improved execution and operational excellence; enhanced capabilities critical to BAT’s strategic development and transformation; and a progressive and agile organization with collaborative and inclusive culture, the company said.
Johan Vandermeulen will take on the role of chief operating officer starting July 1. His role will be accountable for driving business performance, operational excellence and best-in-class execution, BAT said, with a focus on short-term and sustainable delivery.
Reporting to Vandermeulen will be:
- David Waterfield, who was promoted to the management board as president and CEO of Reynolds American Inc., effective July 1.
- Fred Monteiro, director, Americas and Europe.
- Michael Dijanosic, director, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa.
- Zafar Khan, director, operations.
- Javed Iqbal, director, digital and information. Iqbal also serves currently as interim finance director.
Kingsley Wheaton will be appointed to the new role of chief strategy and growth officer starting Sept. 1. In this role, he will be responsible for continued strategic development and delivery of sharper consumer focus through an integrated approach to brands and driving the company’s environmental, social and governance agenda.
Reporting to Wheaton will be:
- Luciano Comin, appointed to the new role of marketing director, combustibles and new categories, effective July 1. This role will be accountable for a more integrated approach to insights, innovation, brand-building, consumer experience and activation, and revenue growth management across the combustibles and new categories portfolios, BAT said.
- Paul McCrory, promoted to the management board to the new role of director, corporate and regulatory affairs, effective Sept. 1. This role will be accountable for shaping regulatory strategy and leading regulatory engagement to secure sustainable access to markets and categories.
- James Barrett, promoted to the management board to the new role of director, business development, effective Sept. 1. This role will be accountable for strategy development, mergers and acquisitions, the wellbeing and stimulation portfolio and our venturing unit, Btomorrow Ventures.
Both Vandermeulen and Wheaton will report to Marroco.
BAT’s management board, chaired by its chief executive, oversees the implementation of the group’s strategy and policy set by the board, and creates the framework for the day-to-day operation of the group’s operating subsidiaries.
“This refreshed management board structure is critical to my commitment to build a progressive and agile organization with a collaborative and inclusive culture, enabling simultaneous performance and transformation,” Marroco said. “To that end, I am delighted to be welcoming David, Paul and James to the management board. They are all highly collaborative leaders who have the depth of experience to enable the continued strategic and cultural transformation of BAT.”
Guy Meldrum, president and CEO at Reynolds American Inc., and Paul Lageweg, director of new categories, will step down from their roles and the management board starting June 30 and will facilitate a transition with their successors, BAT said.
Hae In Kim will step down from the management board as of June 30 to take up the role of strategic talent director.
“I would like to thank Guy for his significant contribution across many markets and geographies over the last two decades, and Paul, for his role in helping to create a new category business that continues to drive BAT’s transformation. I also look forward to working with Hae In as strategic talent director,” Marroco said.
A process is underway to identify who will fill the roles of finance director and director of talent, culture and inclusion.
BAT, London, owns brands including Vuse vapor products, Velo modern oral nicotine products and Pall Mall, Lucky Strike, Camel, Natural American Spirit and Newport cigarettes. Reynolds American is among it subsidiaries.
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